Velvet Lights
by whitelips paleface
Summary: Carlisle and Esme venture out on their own, retiring their roles as parents for a few years.
1. Fresh

**I thought this would be a fun short one-shot to write, so here goes nothing. **

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer is the rightful owner of Twilight. **

**~.~.~**

"They'll be fine!" the blonde in the driver's seat consoled his wife that was sitting in the passenger's seat. They locked eyes for a second; the brunette offered her husband a faint smile squeezing his hand a tad tighter, they're hands resting there.

"Carlisle," she sighed, shifting in her seat to face her husband better. "The kids have not been alone for this amount of time in over two decades; you can't fault me for being worried, love!"

Carlisle chuckled and came to a stop right when the light turned red. It was the middle of the night in the middle of Philadelphia and on their way to New York. "Esme, they'll be perfectly fine! It's only four years, my dear," he took both of her hands in his and pressed his lips to each of her knuckles.

"_Only _four years," Esme reiterated, nodding her head as she rested her head against the headrest. She let the soft melodies of the songs playing on the radio lull her to a sleepless stupor.

The couple chose to take some time apart from their family, something they haven't done in over two decades. Their family of vampires impeded on the patriarchs of the family to venture off on their own. Their children would destroy their house in every way they possibly could; however, this time, they all resolved to go off on their own and reconvene in four years in their favorite home in Forks.

Although Esme was glad to retire her role as a mother for at least four years, deep in her heart, she missed her children profoundly already. Esme was to take on the part of a high school art teacher in their small town while Carlisle worked at the local hospital. They opted for a quaint two-bedroom apartment on the outskirts of town, a bit of a fixer-upper (a project Esme was very excited to work on).

Amid her stupor, it seemed that Carlisle had changed the music, and began to get into the music. "Frank Sinatra?" Esme spoke, her eyebrows cocked in amusement, turning her head towards her husband.

Time has elapsed since Esme's stupor, and they were now in front of their apartment complex. Esme's eyes lit up as she marveled at the building in front of her; the sizing was decent, only two floors and a handful of units. What made the building appear more alluring was the architecture from the outside, the ornate embellishments that seemed so intricate and fascinating, and the enchanting garden that was well sustained.

Carlisle took her hand in his once again and pressed the back of her hand to his lips. "We're home," he murmured, driving through the gates of their apartment and around the end to the left. The night was chilly, when they stepped out of their car, careful not to make much noise.

Without a second thought, Carlisle scooped his wife up in his arms bridal style, Esme stifling giggles that were building up from her chest, her head resting on his chest. "Newlyweds?" Esme inquired, as Carlisle unlocked their door and stepped through the threshold with her.

"We're two newlyweds who just relocated from West Virginia," Carlisle murmured against her neck, backing her up against the wall. Esme let out a soft sigh, tangling her fingers through his blonde hair.

"I like that idea," she giggled, as he hoisted her up and carried her out the living room and into their new bedroom.

**~.~.~**

After they "christened" their bedroom, they set off to get their new living space ready for the next few years. A few weeks prior, they had come and brought their furniture to the new apartment when they went for the key. They were careful not to be too boisterous when they were assembling the furniture not to wake the other tenants.

The sun was beginning to rise above the horizon, the light peaking through the curtains that Esme had just got done setting up in the living room. They had set up the speaker in the apartment to play softly in the background as they worked worldlessly. Placing the last book on the bookshelf, Carlisle sat down on the couch as Esme fixed the long horizontal mirror in the hallway. He observed as she flittered about the apartment, a satisfied expression on her face.

Lighting the candle that was on the coffee table, he walked up behind her as a new song began to play around the living room. Carlisle placed his hands on her hips and began to sway them side to side.

"_Strangers in the night, exchanging glances, wondering in the night, what were the chances that we'd be sharing love Before the night was through?_" Carlisle sang along to the opening verse, spinning her around, so she was to face him.

Esme giggled and placed one hand on his chest as he held her small hand in his, as they began to dance to the beat of the song. "It's been a while," Esme whispered, gazing up into his eyes as they circled the coffee table slowly.

"We can do this a lot more often now," he commented as they swayed in the middle of the living room, the sound of the birds chirping in the back, and the sound of their neighbors slowly begin to rise for the new day.

Esme rested her head against his chest, closing her eyes as he pulled her close to his body. "I can get used to this."

The song faded into the background, another playing shortly after that one. "No one to make fun of us, no one to interrupt us," Carlisle ticked off as they made their way to the couch, Esme curling up to his side.

"I love you, darling," Esme whispered along his jaw-line, hugged his waist and closed her eyes.

"I love you too, my love."

**Perhaps I can turn this into a short story, their adventures without their chaotic family as newlyweds. **

**I hope you enjoyed this short little one-shot!**


	2. Catharsis

**I concluded I would extend it to a short story, so I hope you guys enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer is the rightful owner of Twilight. **

**~.~.~**

_Three Months Later_

The birds began to harmonize their morning melodies, at the same time that they always did, just as dawn was breaking off in the distance. Careful fingers were tracing circles on a pale spine, where the back brilliantly glistened in the small traces of light that succeeded to sneak its way into their room. Satin sheets were strewn across the couple's naked legs as they cuddled with one another.

Carlisle continued to trace small circles on Esme's back as she pressed her body closer to her husband, her face buried in his chest. "We should get up, love," Carlisle whispered in her ear, his lips pressed to the top of her head. Esme groaned and rolled onto her back, bringing the sheets over her head. He chuckled and moved out of bed and into their shared wardrobe. "Don't want to go to work this morning?" he asked his wife from within their closet.

Esme huffed out and yanked the sheets down, propping her body up on her elbows. Her hair was disheveled as she ran a hand through her hair, grabbing her phone to glance at the clock. Esme had two hours to get ready and get to work. "I do, but I don't see the need to go ahead and get ready so early when we could lay down and snuggle for another half hour," she whimpered, holding her hands out like a child. Carlisle chuckled and crawled back into bed and his wife's arms.

"Fifteen minutes, darling," Carlisle stated, resting his cheek against Esme's chest. Esme nodded and ran her fingers through Carlisle's blonde hair as she closed her eyes, humming a soft tune mindlessly.

Their allotted fifteen minutes had soon passed, and while Esme was showering for the day, Carlisle was reexamining some patient records. The school has been in session for the past three months and being around different scents daily has made it a lot more manageable for her. Esme took the extra time she had of getting breakfast and lunch ready to blow dry her hair and get her outfit ready.

Esme opted to put her hair in a low bun after her hair was fully dry with a few strands of hair floated around her face, minimal makeup, a striped t-shirt with a mustard cardigan, regular jeans, and nude flats. Checking her outfit for the umpteenth time, she sighed and stepped out to the living room where Carlisle was waiting, fiddling with something on his phone. "How do I look?" Esme asked, stepping in front of Carlisle, hands-on-hips.

Carlisle looked up from his phone and smiled at his wife, putting his hands on her waist, pulling her close to him. "You look like a hot teacher, my love," he complimented his wife, giving her a chaste kiss on the lips. He stood up and grabbed his bag, along with Esme's bag.

Esme beamed and grabbed her box that was filled with journals, following her husband out the door and towards their car. They concluded that they would carpool with each other, and Carlisle would pick her up on her "lunch breaks" and have lunch together - or vice versa. The drive to the school was a short and quiet one (much shorter than their other past routes), she appreciated the small conversations she has with Carlisle during this time.

"What's on the agenda?" Carlisle asked as he pulled into the local gas station stopping to fill up their tank while Esme would get off and purchase two coffee's - it helped keep their hands warm at least for a little while.

Esme unbuckled her seatbelt, reaching down into her wallet to retrieve money to pay for the drinks. "My seniors are going to begin coming up with ideas for the senior mural while my other classes we are going to begin with abstract art." They both walked into the convenient store, Carlisle trailing closely behind her while they made it towards the back where the coffee stuff was. After they poured their drinks, Esme went ahead and bought a few snacks to go in her drawer.

"Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Cullen," the cashier with the bright red hair greeted both of them as placed her book down on the counter.

"Good morning, Lillian," Esme and Carlisle both greeted her in unison. Lillian was one of their neighbors who worked the graveyard shift at the convenience store before her afternoon classes at the city college a town over.

They paid for their belongings and pumped their gas and were set on their way to high school. "So, the seniors have their mural?" Carlisle inquired as he pulled up to the side of the small high school that houses a little over five thousand students.

Esme went on to explain that it's more of a big portrait on a stretched canvas where the senior class would incorporate highlights of their graduating class. It was a cute tradition that she was delighted to take part in for the next several years. Esme has been having fun with her art classes thus far; the sketchpads that the students had Esme checked monthly, and they had the opportunity to vent on one of the pages if need be.

The campus was still quite empty, seeing as it was only fifteen past 7 o'clock. Esme sighed and pulled her keys out of her bag and reached for her coffee cup. "I'll see you at four?" Esme asked, leaning over the console, smiling up at her husband.

He cupped her chin and brought her face to his giving her a long kiss. "I'll see you at four," he confirmed, watching as she made her way through the front doors of the main office before driving off to the hospital.

The office was sickeningly warm when she stepped into the building. It was an unusually cold morning, even more so on this November morning. Although the sun is out, the weather seemed drab. As she walked through the building to her classroom, her phone began ringing. Esme huffed in slight annoyance as she shuffled the box full of sketchpads onto her left arm as she fished for her phone with her right. Finally, grabbing it before it could stop, she smiled when she saw the name on her phone: _Alice. _

"Esme!" Alice's excited cry came from the other line, as Esme chuckled as she slid her key into the door handle and entered her cold dark class.

Esme placed her cellphone between her ear and shoulder, placing the box behind her desk. "Hi, dear, how are you?" Esme breathed onto the phone as she put her bags onto her desk and flittered around the room, preparing for her day.

"Oh, you know, eventful! Ness and I are going to Paris soon!" her daughter said rather calmly, despite being excited about their pending trip. "Any who, I saw that most of your students are going to have a hard time, so I thought I'd give you a heads up."

Esme furrowed her brows as she brought out the paint bottles from underneath a counter, placing them on the table in front of her. "Do you know why?"

There was silence on the other end before Alice sighed. "No, sorry. I hope everything goes well," Alice tried to encourage her.

She sighed and nodded, leaning on the counter and opening up the blinds to her window. "Alright, thank you for letting me know, honey. I'll talk to you soon," and with that, they hung up.

As Esme retrieved the colors she wanted, she couldn't help but wonder why her students were going to have a hard time. She played soft music in the background as she readied her classroom, still lost in her mind.

**~.~.~**

Esme never really recovered from the news she found out. She found out through one of her students that another student tragically passed away the day before. Right after Esme finished prepping her classroom, two former students approached her; they wanted to ask if it was okay to take their class mural to add their friend who she too passed away a month prior.

She observed her classes as much as she could, noticing that her following courses were the ones that were having a much harder day. Esme looked outside the window and sighed as she stood from her chair. "Okay, guys, put away your things and take them with you, we're going outside for the last ten minutes of class," she said slipping on her coat and placing her phone in her pockets.

Ignoring the various confused murmurs from her students as they hastily gathered their belongings and lined up by the door waiting for her to walk out the door. Quickly grabbing her fresh cup of coffee and her keys, she walked out and led them down the hall, out of the building, and around the campus to their horseshoe, where there were empty classrooms.

"Put down your backpacks and books and get in a circle," Esme instructed her class and watched as they formed a circle quietly. "Alright," she let out a deep breath and stood in the middle of the ring. "I know life right now seems like it's crumbling around you all, especially with finals in two weeks."

"But why did we come out here?" one of her quiet male students asked his hands in his sweatshirt pockets.

Esme smiled and placed her coffee and keys on the floor, standing in between two students and taking their hands and hoping that her hands were warm enough at this point. "I guessed that this would be a good catharsis to let out all frustrations. Now, hold hands, and on the count of three, we will scream."

They hesitated before they clapped their hands together and looked to their teacher for further instruction. "On the count of three, we will scream for ten seconds. One, two, three!"

If shivers could run up her spine, she's sure they would have, and her skin would be full of goosebumps. The emotion and frustration that erupted from within were enough to make her emotional.

The bell rang and drowned out their cries slightly. Esme couldn't help but imagine what the parents might be feeling at the loss of their child. Faded memories of her deceased baby plagued her mind, those dreadful months that Edward was gone, and when Jasper and Alice went away, leading to their confrontation with the Volturi.

**~.~.~**

Slinging her bags over her shoulder, and grabbing whatever belongings, she headed out to her awaiting husband. Esme smiled as she could smell his sweet scent and rushed across the street to meet her husband once again. "Hello, love," Carlisle greeted her as he opened his door to meet her before she got to the car.

Esme whimpered and put her bags in the backseat and hugged her husband with all her might. She relished in his strong embrace as he pulled her closer to his body, his hands rubbing against her back in an attempt to soothe her. "Let's go home," Esme whispered, pulling back and gave Carlisle a chaste kiss on the lips.

Carlisle looked over to Esme as they were on their way home. Esme gazed out of the window, her hand engulfed in Carlisle's, while he traced circles on the back of her hand. "Darling, what's wrong?"

Esme sighed and turned her body to face her husband. "I lost one of my students last night. I can imagine the pain his mother is going through, love." Her eyes were dazed out as she gazed outside the windshield. "All of my kids are crushed," she sighed and brought their hands to her lips.

Carlisle sympathized; he overheard a couple of his coworkers talking about the death of Esme's student. It seemed that he was loved within the community. "I'm so sorry, Esme," he pulled her head towards him and kissed her forehead at the stop sign right before their place.

**~.~.~**

Esme was resting on the couch reading a book with some _Daughter _songs playing in the background, her hair in a messy bun, and in one of Carlisle's old t-shirts that he rarely uses.

Carlisle emerged from their room after he changed from his work attire. He smiled as he gazed at her; she honestly did look her age without her usual attire that she wore for nearly a century. However, this time, she looked stressed and genuinely heartbroken. Then an idea struck him.

"Come on, Es. Get dressed," Carlisle said, picking her up bridal style and into their room.

Esme looked puzzled as he sat her on their bed and walked over to their closet and their dressers to retrieve clothing items. It was all just casual wear; it was just a knit sweater with a black jacket, leggings, and boots.

"Where are we going?" she asked, ridding herself of the old t-shirt, and dressing in the items Carlisle picked out. As Esme got dressed, Carlisle walked into their other room that was both his study and her studio. He grabbed a tote bag and filled it with two canvases and as many paints and brushes that he could fit.

"Ready?" Carlisle asked, slinging the bag over his shoulder and taking his wife's hand in his.

Esme nodded and followed him out the door, and they went on their way. "Can I ask where we're going again, Carlisle?" Esme inquired as he drove deeper into town.

Carlisle shook his head and turned on the radio, some random music from the Top 40 blaring through the car. They've been living on their own for nearly four months now, and now they were able to live life as their actual ages. They've allowed themselves to let loose and enjoy things they usually wouldn't. So, when Carlisle started singing at an attempt to cheer his wife up, Esme couldn't help but join in.

They sang to their heart's content to the music of The Strokes, Queen, Blondie, and even Taylor Swift. Once Carlisle pulled into the parking lot of their local park, Esme soon understood what they were doing. They treaded through the park first, walking hand in hand, enjoying the view of the beautiful trees with the leaves changing right before their eyes.

Carlisle found a spot near the playground (aware that the sound of squealing children always cheered her up) and set up camp there. He pulled out the canvases and set up their paint palettes with a generous dollop of each color of paint that he brought with them.

Esme smiled and sat down 'crisscross style' in front of Carlisle and took a canvas that Carlisle was handing out to her. "You know exactly how to cheer me up," Esme smiled, leaning over to kiss Carlisle on the cheek.

"Nearly a century by your side, I know every bit of you."

Esme threw her head back in laughter as she dipped her paintbrush into the vibrant red paint that was on the palette. "You'll never stop being corny, will you?"

Carlisle shook his head, dipping his paintbrush into the emerald green color and gently tapped her nose with the bristles, the tip of her nose green. "Never my love."

Esme gasped and quickly did the same to him, covering Carlisle's forehead with the red, and in between her giggles, she breathed out, "Simba."

Soon, there was more paint on them than on their canvases.


	3. Beginning to Look Like Christmas

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer is the rightful owner of Twilight. **

**~.~.~**

_December_

It was early Saturday morning; the sun was hiding behind a cover of clouds on a crisp morning. The door to their balcony was open, letting the fresh air from outside come into their apartment. Esme could hear the scattered sounds of Christmas music playing throughout the various units in their building. Multiple scenarios played through her head of what she would be doing if she was human; Esme would probably be curled up in comfortable pajamas and hot cocoa in her hands or even making a delicious breakfast that she'd enjoy.

Esme let all those different scenarios run through her head as Esme let her Christmas music play mindlessly in the background as she was cleaning up their apartment. It was refreshing, to not have to pick up after seven teenaged vampires daily, and to finish a lot faster than usual.

As Esme was putting away her cleaning supplies and ready to hit the shower to wash off the smell of the chemical cocktail off of her, she heard the door swing open, and suddenly, the sweet smell of her mate's fragrance infiltrated her nostrils.

Carlisle placed his coat on the small hangers by the door, unwrapping his scarf from around his neck. He could hear her soft footsteps making a beeline towards her husband at human speed, not risking a chance at being seen. "Es," Carlisle greeted his wife as she leaped into his arms. Now that it was them on their own when he was away, she did seem lonely, just a tad.

Esme relished the smell that emitted from Carlisle's neck as she nuzzled her nose into the crook of his neck. "I missed you," she mumbled against his skin.

Carlisle chuckled and led them towards their bedroom, where Esme freed herself from his hold and walked into their closet to collect her clothes. "Shower with me." Carlisle watched his wife undress herself, sauntering into the bathroom. "You know you want to," she sang in a sing-song voice, enticing Carlisle.

That he wanted, and that's what he did. They showered in silence, the scalding hot water crashing against their stone-cold bodies as they lathered each other in their respective body washes and shampoos. It was these pure moments that they appreciated thoroughly. They relocated their intimate bonding to the bedroom once they showered, wrapped in fluffy towels.

It was only noon by the time they were cuddling on their bed, both clad only in their underwear. Esme's head rested right on Carlisle's chest, his hand running fingers through her damp hair. They talked about Carlisle's exciting night in the ER, seeing as the holidays brought in a lot more people into the emergency room, and they also spoke about Esme's eventful morning and night of painting away and cleansing their living space.

As Esme was tracing her fingers along his navel, she lifted her head to kiss his jawline tenderly. "Let's go out tonight."

Carlisle's fingers got caught in her curls as his fingers stopped midway, his eyebrows raised in amusement. He saw the twinkle in his wife's eyes, the excitement in her face. "Anything in mind?"

Esme nodded and sat up, throwing a leg over his torso, so she was sitting on his stomach. "We need a Christmas tree, the town's Christmas parade is in an hour, and maybe we can go ice-skating or even dancing?" Esme offered, a hopeful tone prominent as she ticked off everything. She studied Carlisle's face carefully, as a beat of silence passed them.

Propping himself up on his elbows, he kissed Esme on the nose and flashed her a heartwarming smile. "Why don't we do it all? We can do dancing next weekend, but we can do everything else."

"Yes! Okay, I'll start getting ready!" Esme cried out in delight and kissed her husband before jumping off the bed and into their closet.

Carlisle threw his head back in laughter and covered his face in a pillow as she tossed her clothing onto the bed, and some of it was landing on him.

**~.~.~**

Lucky for the Cullen couple, the weather was gloomy, and it was sprinkling lightly by the time they got deeper into town. They parked the car behind the City Hall, only one or two minutes walk to where the parade would be taking place. Esme was holding onto Carlisle's side as they walked down the street, the crowds getting gradually higher once they got closer to the center of town.

They stayed put in front of the hardware store, standing underneath the awning, as the first few floats and groups began to make their way down the street. Esme waved to her few students that were involved in the parade, most of them in the marching band.

Carlisle seemed enthralled by the way Esme was gushing over the kids that participated in the parade. For a moment, he felt guilty, not being able to give his wife the one thing she's always wanted. Carlisle remembered how heartbroken she was when Bella was pregnant - jealous even. With a sigh, he wrapped his arms around Esme, his hands gently resting on her stomach.

The parade was shortly over, and they made their way towards the local church, where the high school's music department was selling Christmas trees. Alice usually picked out their tree and decorated it to her liking, only getting color approval from Esme. So, it was an exciting task to do, get to decorate the Christmas tree herself with her husband. Not only was she decorating her first Christmas tree with Carlisle, but she would also decorate their home together.

Esme was mindlessly walking up and down the aisles of the copious amount of trees lost in her mind. "What about this one, Esme?" Her husband's soft voice broke her out of her stupor, as Carlisle was standing next to a tall tree.

"Darling, isn't that tree a little too big for our apartment?" Esme asked, her brows perched, as she circled the tree her husband was admiring. It was a seven-foot Douglas Fir tree, with a vibrant dark green color to it and a lovely scent.

Carlisle looked down at the tree, his brows furrowed ever so lightly, as he further examined the tree, and began to walk behind Esme, as the trees started to get smaller each time. "Isn't that the size we usually get?"

The brunette turned around to face her husband and giggled. "Yes, Car, but remember, our previous homes were much bigger than the one we are in now," she reminded Carlisle before she made a beeline towards a smaller tree that caught her eye. "What about this bad boy?"

Carlisle walked over to the tree and noticed that it was about his height, although it was very similar to the one he had liked before. "You sure?" he asked, a smile slowly dawning on his face as he saw how excited his wife was.

"Yes, love!"

"Okay, this tree it is!"

**~.~.~**

Once the couple got to their apartment, after making a quick stop to the store, they went straight to decorating their tree and home. Esme and Carlisle agreed on keeping a white and red theme to their tree, resulting in the whole house to be enhanced in the same colors as well. The candles were changed out, along with a few throw pillows, throw blanket, and just extra stuff that Esme thought was cute.

"Our first Christmas without a full house," Esme sighed as she plugged in the Christmas lights, the white lights giving their living room a soft glow that Esme appreciated.

After throwing away the trash that was across their living room, Carlisle walked behind his wife and wrapped his arms around her. "It is, but maybe this time, we can fully enjoy it ourselves," he sighed out and kissed the top of her head.

Leaning back against his chest, she nodded and turned around in his arms. "Maybe we can go an visit them or have them fly in for Christmas; I would want for us to be with even half of our family at least on that holiday," Esme's voice was soft, as she ran a finger through Carlisle's hair, enjoying the way he looked a bit rugged.

"We can most definitely arrange to be with our family on Christmas," Carlisle took Esme's hand and kissed her knuckles, then proceeding to kiss her on the forehead.

"Love when you kiss my forehead," Esme laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I love kissing your forehead too," he chuckled and scooped her up in his arms, walking them over to their couch.

They laid in silence on the couch, cuddling each other to the sound of Christmas music, much how Esme was earlier by herself in the morning. Christmas music and the noise of the kids next door playing was almost as a lullaby for her. "Do you still want to go ice-skating?" Carlisle asked, hugging Esme's body closer to his.

"I like laying in your arms."

"Me too, but we have forever for that. Let's go."

Esme groaned as Carlisle sat up and nearly dragged his wife towards their room to get ready once more for their last outing for the night.

Their attire didn't change much; they only added a jacket on top of their sweaters, Esme wore some heeled boots, while Carlisle wore a pair of boots that coordinated Esme's.

They debated on driving into Manhattan and going to the rink at the Rockefeller Center or staying close to town and supporting a smaller business. So, after a short time pondering, they went and drove into the closest city.

The ice rink wasn't as lovely as the one at the Rockefeller Center, but it did its job, and Esme was just excited to be there and enjoy an outing out with her husband. The rink inside was decorated quite lovely for the holiday season, a different array of music blaring through the speakers, and the arena was full of teenagers and young couples.

"Ready?" Esme asked as Carlisle walked up to her with their skates in his hands.

They placed the skates on their feet, their shoes in a cubby, along with Esme's purse. "Ready," Carlisle stated, taking his wife's hand in his, and they slowly began their way down the ice, quietly observing the crowd.

They began to pick up momentum, Esme pushing off her skates a little harder and faster, Carlisle following along, as the music's tempo began to pick up. "Will it be too much of me if I do a twirl?" Esme asked Carlisle as she let go of his hand and turned around to face Carlisle.

Carlisle looked around to see everyone else struggling to keep their balance, let alone do twirls. "Maybe, but do it," he encouraged his wife and watched as she skated a bit ahead of him, kicking off on her left foot, bringing her right foot up just a bit and did a small twirl. Even though it was a little twirl, she still looked majestic in Carlisle's eyes.

A few strands of hair got in her face, and as Esme was moving them out of her eyes, she noticed a few of her students staring in awe. Half of them were staring at her, and half of them were staring at Carlisle. Carlisle casually strode over to Esme, a smirk on his face.

"They can't believe I'm your husband," he laughed out, taking her hand in his.

"Neither can I," Esme smiled and kissed his cheek, "thank you, love."

They spent the rest of the hour and a half circling the rink, taking the occasional break to make it seem like they were tired. A few fake slips, scratch spins, and a few axels later, they decided to call it a night.

As they made their way to their car, Esme smirked and stopped dead in her tracks, yanking Carlisle back a tad as he kept walking. "Es, are you okay?"

Esme bent down slowly and putting a hand on her knee and began to grimace in faux pain. "Ice-skating did a number on me," she moaned in pain.

Carlisle's face was full of confusion, carefully examining Esme before he caught her wink at him, and realization dawned on his face. "Oh, are you tired, my love?"

Esme hummed in response, pouting as she looked up at him. Carlisle chuckled and stood in front of her crouching a bit, "Get on my back, beautiful."

With a giggle, Esme hopped onto his back, wrapping her arms and legs around Carlisle. "The heels and the skates just took a toll on my poor old feet and knees," Esme spoke quite dramatically.

"Can imagine, my love. Let's get your old bones home."


End file.
